AEW Collision live results: Eddie Kingston vs. Trent Beretta Continental Crown match

AEW Collision returns with a Continental Crown title match in Charlotte, North Carolina.

After a one-week absence, Collision returns for the first time following the events of last Saturday’s Worlds End. Eddie Kingston will make his first defense of the Continental Crown, taking on Trent Beretta. Beretta won a four-way match on Wednesday’s Dynamite to secure a title match for Saturday, defeating Brian Cage, Bryan Keith, and Hijo Del Vikingo in a four-way match.

FTR will also be in action, taking on The House of Black. The two groups have been feuding for much of 2023, rekindling their feud in recent weeks with The House of Black insisting that FTR no longer have any friends within the company.

Sting will also team up with Darby Allin on Saturday to take on The Workhorsemen. It is being billed as Sting’s final match in Charlotte, as he plans to retire after AEW Revolution in March.

Join us for live coverage of Collision starting at 8 pm ET.

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No pre-show promos tonight, as Sir Elton John plays us into the first Collision of 2024. Tony Schiavone, Kevin Kelly, and Nigel McGuinness were on the call. Hometown legend Ric Flair makes his entrance to be at ringside for the opening match.

Darby Allin & Sting (w/ Ric Flair) defeated The WorkHorsemen (Anthony Henry & JD Drake)

A perfect match for Sting to have on his retirement tour. Sometimes, especially on PPV, they ask Sting to do a little too much for his age. This was just right, as he got to shine, run wild, and score the win in a great showcase.

Henry and Drake jumped Sting and Allin before the bell, with Henry dropping Sting with a chop block before hitting a charging leg lariat to Allin against the barricade. In the ring, Allin demanded to start the match, but the Workhorsemen took him down quickly with a powerslam/diving headbutt combination for a nearfall. Henry hit a double knee backbreaker for a nearfall as the Workhorsemen continued to clubber on Allin in their corner.

We Want Sting chants rang through the building as Drake knocked Sting off of the apron before hitting a Magnum-style belly-to-belly suplex. Allin avoided a Drake moonsault, allowing Sting to tag in. Allin hit a Code Red on Drake before Sting hit a Stinger Splash. Allin hit a Coffin Drop to Henry on the floor before Sting hit the Scorpion Death Drop on Drake to score the win.

We got a video package hyping this Wednesday’s tag team match, featuring Darby Allin & Sting vs. Konosuke Takeshita & Powerhouse Hobbs.

AEW Continental Crown Title Match – Eddie Kingston (c) defeated Trent Beretta

This was one hell of a battle. Beretta is getting used a lot more in these showcase scenarios lately, and he continues to answer the call in this gritty, bloody title fight. This was definitely a match to seek out.

During Beretta’s entrance, they reminded us that these two were part of the same team for the Stadium Stampede match back at All In: London. They traded strikes, with Beretta unsuccessfully trying to avoid Kingston’s chops. Beretta avoided a corner charge and hit a tornado DDT for a one-count. Beretta held control until Kingston countered an Irish Whip before hitting the Machine Gun chops in the corner. Beretta slapped Kingston in the face, with Kingston responding with a chop to the face.

Beretta came up with a bloody nose as Kingston sidestepped a plancha. Kingston dropped Beretta with a Saito suplex on the floor as we went to a commercial. After the break, Kingston hit Beretta with a face wash as Trent’s mother Sue was shown worried at ringside. Beretta went to the middle rope, but Kingston pulled his feet out from under him. Beretta came back with a jumping knee before punching Kingston repeatedly against the ropes. Beretta sent Kingston to the floor before hitting a dive to Kingston against the barricade.

Beretta and Kingston brawled on the top rope before Beretta pulled Kingston down into a powerbomb for a nearfall. Kingston came back with a strike combination, ending in an enzuigiri for a nearfall. Beretta came back with a trio of German suplexes before hitting a running knee and a Gotch-style piledriver for a nearfall.

The two men traded strikes as they fought to their feet before Beretta hit a half-and-half suplex. Kingston caught a charging Beretta with a half-and-half suplex of his own before hitting a backfist and a Northern Lights Bomb for a nearfall. Kingston then hit a second Northern Lights Bomb for the win. Sue gave her son Trent a thumbs up for a hard-fought match.

Earlier today, Willow Nightingale, Kris Statlander, and Statlander’s pet Komodo dragon Boots were backstage with Tony Schiavone. Schiavone asked about Stokely Hathaway’s interest in both of them, but they blew him off. They talked about their accomplishments in 2023 and said that their focus was on keeping their good momentum rolling in 2024.

Hook spoke in a pre-tape. His winning percentage was second to none in this company, so it was time for him to go after more gold. He had an eye on a bad man who he’s been watching through personal connections. He called out Samoa Joe, saying he was coming for the AEW World Title.

[Whoa. Hook stepping up in class here is a long-awaited move, and I’m interested to see how the fans take to him going for the gold.]

Proving Ground Match – ROH World Tag Team Champions The Undisputed Kingdom (Mike Bennett & Matt Taven w/ Roderick Strong) defeated Komander & Bryan Keith

This was a nice showcase for Keith and Komander, as the crowd got into his comeback and bought the idea of the challenger team winning. A strong, clean win for the new unit.

Proving Ground matches are non-title matches in ROH, where the challengers can earn a title match if they win or survive the ten-minute time limit. Bennett and Taven worked on Komander early on, clubbering on him in their corner before Komander caught Taven with a hurricanrana. Keith tagged in and laid in strikes to Taven. Bennett got a blind tag in and caught an unaware Keith with a forearm as we went to a commercial.

Bennett and Taven were clubbering on Keith in the corner after the break, with Taven scoring a nearfall with an elbow drop on Bennett’s knees. Keith sent Bennett into the corner with a belly-to-belly throw before Komander tagged in and ran wild. Komander hit a superplex to Taven off of Keith’s shoulders before Keith launched Komander onto the Kingdom on the floor.

Back in the ring, Keith caught a charging Taven with a knee, but Bennett cut Keith off with a lariat. Bennett dropped Komander with a piledriver as Taven hit Just The Tip on Keith. The Kingdom hit Keith with Rockstar Supernova to score the win.

Bullet Club Gold was backstage with Renee Paquette. The Acclaimed quickly interrupted, noting how they saved Bullet Club on Dynamite and their mutual problems with The Undisputed Kingdom. White said that The Kingdom was the Bullet Club’s problem to solve. Tensions got heated, but Anthony Bowens calmed everybody down. He said the only way to get anything done in AEW was through factions. He noted White’s history with Bullet Club in Japan and Billy Gunn’s history in factions, no doubt talking about the 4 Live Kru in TNA. Bowens told them to give his words some thought.

Adam Copeland Speaks

Adam Copeland made his way to the ring in his gear. He recapped the events of Worlds End, where he beat and lost the TNT Title to Christian Cage. He said that he was entitled to an automatic rematch as a former TNT Champion, but he was fine working his way to another title match. Copeland said that Christian believed that he was handed everything, but the difference between them was that Copeland worked harder than Cage. He noted that he was in his gear and issued an open challenge.

Griff Garrison, Cole Karter, and Maria made their way to the stage, making me wonder if I put Ring of Honor on by accident. Garrison introduced himself as a man who takes advantage of opportunities before getting into the ring with Copeland. Copeland said that Garrison reminded him of himself at that age, but Garrison was stepping up above his class. Garrison slapped him in the face, and Copeland booted him in his to get this impromptu match started.

Adam Copeland defeated Griff Garrison (w/ Cole Karter & Maria)

This wasn’t a particularly standout performance from Garrison in the big spot. A nondescript affair here to kick off Copeland’s road back to the TNT Title.

Copeland beat up Garrison with little resistance until Maria and Karter ran interference, allowing Garrison to hit a big boot. Garrison clubbered on Copeland for a while, hitting a wheelbarrow facebuster for a nearfall. Copeland came back with a baseball slide on Karter before hitting a crossbody on Garrison for a nearfall. Copeland went for a spear, but Garrison caught him with a rolling elbow for a nearfall. 

Garrison went to the top rope, but Copeland cut him off with punches and headbutts. Copeland hit a superplex and the Impaler DDT before tapping him out with a crossface. After the match, Karter caught Copeland with a dropkick. Karter went for a 450 splash, but Copeland moved out of the way and hit a spear to leave both men lying.

Sting, Darby Allin, & Ric Flair were backstage. Flair hyped up Sting’s final match in Charlotte and their match on Dynamite against Konosuke Takeshita & Powerhouse Hobbs. Sting warned Don Callis that he wasn’t going out easily and that it would be showtime in Jacksonville.

Skye Blue defeated Kiera Hogan

Skye Blue seems to be AEW’s Iron Woman, as she’s all over these shows.

On commentary, Kevin Kelly claimed that there was something interesting about Skye Blue. I would personally argue that point, but that’s neither here nor there. These two went back and forth before Hogan fired up with a pair of slaps, leading to an offensive combination ending with a superkick for a nearfall. Blue landed a pair of strikes to the back of the head before hitting a running boot as we went to a commercial.

Blue clubbered on Hogan as we came back from the break. Blue went to the middle rope before jumping into a Hogan superkick. Hogan made a comeback, hitting a Rick Rude-style neckbreaker for a nearfall. Hogan went for the ten punches in the corner, but Blue hit a head trap superkick. They traded superkicks before Blue hit a TKO. She transitioned into a Dragon Sleeper to score the submission win.

We got a video package hyping the return of Serena Deeb. Deeb used her technical wrestling ability to escape from a straitjacket.

Claudio Castagnoli defeated Andrew Everett

In a pre-tape during his entrance, Castagnoli called out Hangman Adam Page for a match on Dynamite. Castagnoli manhandled Everett, a seven-footer in his own mind. Castagnoli hit a chokeslam before hitting a charging uppercut against the barricade. Castagnoli got Everett in the Giant Swing, going for ten revolutions.

Everett came back with head kicks and a Pele kick, but Castagnoli moved out of the way of a Shooting Star Press. Castagnoli hit the Neutralizer and a short-arm lariat for the win.

AEW World Tag Team Champions Ricky Starks & Big Bill were backstage with Lexy Nair. Starks hyped his return to Daily’s Place this Wednesday against Sammy Guevara, where he debuted. He lost a title match on that night – naming Cody Rhodes as the man who beat him – but he’ll be returning as a champion. Big Bill made their title defense against Guevara & Chris Jericho official. It will be next Saturday night on Battle of the Belts, and it will be a street fight.

FTR (Cash Wheeler & Dax Harwood) defeated House Of Black (Buddy Matthews & Malakai Black)

A very good main event, although I would go short of calling it great. FTR feels like they have lost some steam as of late. Despite this match being in their neck of the woods, by the end of the post-match beatdown, there was a sizeable House of Black chant. FTR got cheered within the match though, and I do like seeing Daniel Garcia not forgetting about Brody King’s bullying of him after their Continental Classic match.

Harwood and Matthews started, fighting to a stalemate before Wheeler tagged in. Wheeler outwrestled Matthews, leading to an FTR double-team Russian Leg Sweep for a nearfall. Black tagged in, with him and Harwood evading strikes before Black sat cross-legged in the ring. Harwood sat with him, flipping him off in the process. Black exited the ring and walked towards Harwood’s family in the front row before FTR chased him away.

Harwood clubbered on Matthews in the corner, but Matthews caught Harwood on a corner charge with an elbow and got a tag to Black. The announcers had a great conversation about the history of wrestling in this building, with Schiavone noting the number of Flair/Steamboat matches he’s personally seen in this building. Wheeler tagged in and ended up getting his leg swept by Black on the apron before Matthews dropped him on the apron. Black hit a moonsault to Wheeler on the floor.

Wheeler got worked on in the House of Black corner before sending Matthews into Black in the corner. Wheeler fought off Matthews and Black in the attempt to make a tag, but Matthews booted Harwood off the apron to keep Wheeler in the ring. After a commercial, Harwood tagged in and ran wild, hitting a brainbuster on Black for a nearfall. Harwood had to fight two-on-one for a while, and it came back to bite him as Matthews caught him with a kick. That led to a Black back elbow for a nearfall.

Wheeler yanked Matthews to the floor, leading to Harwood getting a nearfall on an inside cradle. Harwood cut off Black on the top rope, leading to an FTR Powerplex for a nearfall that got broken up by Matthews hitting a Meteora onto the pile. Wheeler sent both Black and Matthews to the floor but got caught on a dive. Black and Matthews hit a lifting knee before sending Matthews over the announce table.

Black brought a chair into the ring before chirping to Harwood’s family at ringside. Harwood cut off Black with a punch and sent him out of the ring. Wheeler slipped back into the ring to catch Matthews with a Shatter Machine out of nowhere for a nearfall that was broken up by Black. FTR hit Black with a spike piledriver on the apron. Brody King made his way to the ring, but Daniel Garcia cut him off with a chair. Garcia rooted FTR on, but Harwood got caught with a stomp from Matthews for a nearfall. Matthews hit a powerbomb, but Harwood reversed the cover into a pin of his own to get the win.

The House of Black jumped all three men after the match. Matthews stomped Wheeler’s head onto a chair before Black hit the Fade To Black on Harwood with the chair in his face. King drilled Garcia with the chair, then hit him with the Gonzo Bomb as Julia Hart gave their fallen opponents a ten-bell salute.